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Hi all,

I'm getting closer to starting my [not quite "Vintage" anymore] Bigwig build thanks to the re-re happening and I've seen lots of recommendations for MCI decals. I was pondering over my order and saw that they do "Reverse Print" as an option and I was wondering if anyone has tried out this option yet? I'm really tempted to give it a shot but... erm... I guess I'd just like to know if anyone else has had good experiences with it first. :)

Anyone given it a go?

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I was tempted to get a set for my re-re bigwig but at the last minute changed my mind because I was concerned about the possibility of paint bleeding underneath the decals and ruining my hard work. 

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2 minutes ago, Supercoolnothing said:

I was tempted to get a set for my re-re bigwig but at the last minute changed my mind because I was concerned about the possibility of paint bleeding underneath the decals and ruining my hard work. 

I have similar concerns but if someone on here has tried it and gotten good results, I'll be willing to try it myself. I don't want to try it, mess it up, then put others off of something that might give a nicer finish. I think I'll contact MCI and see if they can show me some examples/pics of some of their customer's works.

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Maybe apply a clearcoat first and then spray color?

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Just read the reply I got from MCI and he's corrected the bleed through issue with some white backing in the printing process. I still need to find out more about doing internal decals before I put my order in. If I can't find anything then I'm going to have to fall back on the usual plan of external decals... which isn't really a bad plan, is it? :) 

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The other thing I had a concern about was if I ordered the decals reversed then would that mean that the webber and simpson logos as well as the dashboard were reversed also or would they use common sense and print those ones the right way round? 

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13 hours ago, VagabondStarJXF said:

I'm getting closer to starting my [not quite "Vintage" anymore] Bigwig build thanks to the re-re happening and I've seen lots of recommendations for MCI decals. I was pondering over my order and saw that they do "Reverse Print" as an option and I was wondering if anyone has tried out this option yet? I'm really tempted to give it a shot but... erm... I guess I'd just like to know if anyone else has had good experiences with it first. :)

Anyone given it a go?

Just be warned that vinyl (all vinyl even the best money can buy) SHRINKS in time.

When you apply sticker & paint over it (assuming the ink isn't affected by PS), yeah it looks fine at first & works as planned... but then the vinyl shrinks and you'll find gaps in your paintjob at the edges of the decal.

this roof is half sticker (reverse print under the lexan) half PS5 :wub: when new...

DSC01552-1280.jpg

But if you don't think you'll be staring at same model for a year or 3, no problem :ph34r:

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8 hours ago, WillyChang said:

Just be warned that vinyl (all vinyl even the best money can buy) SHRINKS in time.

When you apply sticker & paint over it (assuming the ink isn't affected by PS), yeah it looks fine at first & works as planned... but then the vinyl shrinks and you'll find gaps in your paintjob at the edges of the decal.

Thanks... y'know what? I didn't even think to take shrinkage into consideration.

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you could always go for waterslide decals, paint the shell then apply waterslide decal an then gloss the shell and the decal would be sealed in

 

wild

 

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2 hours ago, wildwillhappy said:

you could always go for waterslide decals, paint the shell then apply waterslide decal an then gloss the shell and the decal would be sealed in

doesn't quite protect from roadrash & there's no decent gloss paint that'll go over lexan shiny and promise to stay on permanently

waterslides also have issues with opacity

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well you decal the shell from the inside and paint it from the inside as well. The opacity of waterslide decals is how they are made. If you print them off on your computer then they are not good enough but if you screenprint the waterslide decals then the colours are very opaque

wild

Edited by wildwillhappy
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One thing I've experianced from the MCI decals is that the white decals are slightyly transparent. If you paint on the inside of the shell and then stick a white decal on the outside, the color shows through.

DSCF9796_zpsmmescctt.jpg

 

Not sure if this will be repeated with reverse print decals.

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2 minutes ago, wildwillhappy said:

hi christam

Are the stickers printed on a computer? What does MCI stand for?

wild

They are MCI Racing decals.

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13 minutes ago, christam said:

One thing I've experianced from the MCI decals is that the white decals are slightyly transparent. If you paint on the inside of the shell and then stick a white decal on the outside, the color shows through.

DSCF9796_zpsmmescctt.jpg

Not sure if this will be repeated with reverse print decals.

It does, its an unavoidable trait with modern EcoSolvent process - it's dye based, won't totally "blockout" light. Some companies like Mimaki are trying latex-based white ink for stronger opacity but they've got their own issues too.

If that show-thru really bothers you... mask off the area behind the white square and remove the paint with Polycarb Cleaner, repaint it white :D

 

Check this out... ^_^ ...compare white stripe (painted!) vs the other white areas that's been applied over red paint.

3371021601_98337f821c.jpg

Without strong opacity they'd look pink.

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3 hours ago, WillyChang said:

It does, its an unavoidable trait with modern EcoSolvent process - it's dye based, won't totally "blockout" light. Some companies like Mimaki are trying latex-based white ink for stronger opacity but they've got their own issues too.

If that show-thru really bothers you... mask off the area behind the white square and remove the paint with Polycarb Cleaner, repaint it white :D

 

Check this out... ^_^ ...compare white stripe (painted!) vs the other white areas that's been applied over red paint.

3371021601_98337f821c.jpg

Without strong opacity they'd look pink.

That looks good. I've done many of shells which I've cut out some of the decals and replaced with paint. No disputing it.

After that Michelin I did something similar to the Repsol model, to what you suggested. Cut the decal out and then stuck it to white vinyl.

 

These are MCI decals and with the white vinyl backing, no bleeding.

DSCF0894_zps606uqupg.jpg

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3 hours ago, christam said:

After that Michelin I did something similar to the Repsol model, to what you suggested. Cut the decal out and then stuck it to white vinyl.

Yeah it's doable handcutting basic geometric shapes but the washedout "REPSOL" would be trickier...  unless you could get that computercut out of solid white vinyl :)

But I wouldn't even dream of trying to weed out :o this white job, even if the cutter could cut it:-

DSC_0304s.jpg

DSC_8123s-640.jpg

(I actually did try weeding that "RCD1" logo out of cut vinyl... but a 1600mm wide copy of it, and that was bad enough already. Logo was drawn by somebody else, tons of tiny details = zero consideration given to ease of production...)

Sticker on sticker also invites risk of different shrinkage rates (unless you've matched the same make & model of vinyl?); but then again even if you did paint the square white behind the lexan doesn't mean the sticker won't shrink with age either.

It was an epic King Arthur journey to find white ink on clear vinyl that I'd be happy with, this was my holy grail:-

DSC_7117.jpg

Good times, many happy memories! B)

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